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I intended to write one blog post covering the whole of our Queensland road trip from Brisbane to Port Douglas but after our first stop, in Noosa, I realise that there is going to be way too much to squeeze in.

So Noosa is one of the nicest places I have ever visited… It has multiple beaches, great wildlife, good shops and restaurants, friendly laid-back people, and lots of opportunities for messing about on the water.

Because it is so nice everyone wants to live in Noosa and the rich and famous have built huge houses on the waterfronts.

All credit to the local government, they have rejected development plans for apartment blocks and casinos to retain the natural beauty of the place.

Flying north from Sydney to Brisbane takes no time at all. Literally, because the hour that passes in the air is offset by an hour’s time-zone difference. This also makes Brisbane unusual in that it gets dark so early, at about 6:30 even in the summer…when noisy and spectacular displays by Rainbow Lorikeets and Fruit Bats take place.

Brisbane is a hot sub-tropical city. The climate can be a draw for some, or a deterrent for others, depending on your love of the sun. Personally, a place that has winter temperatures similar to English summer has a lot of attractions!

On to the city. Like other Australian cities it has a gleaming Central Business District.

And it has a magnificent meandering tidal river at its heart, plied by commuter catamarans.

On the south bank, opposite the CBD is an area imaginatively called Southbank. Whilst it has a range of restaurants and bars, the area is remarkable for its use of space to give Brisbanites somewhere to play. Parks, performance spaces, and a beach / swimming pool right by the river.

The city has sprawling suburbs, that, without planning restrictions, go on for miles. Commuter trains exist but probably not to the extent needed, so roads get busy and, with apartment blocks springing up all over the place, congestion will get worse.

We were fortunate enough to be staying with some lovely friends who gave us a wonderful insight into Australian life. Schools runs, sports and clubs after school and at weekends, good food, and a friendly, helpful network of friends and neighbours. With rainforest walks at Mount Glorious only an hour away family life can also have an outdoors element.

All things considered, Brisbane seems to offer the perfect lifestyle…if you can take the heat!

At the southern tip of Australia sits Melbourne, the country’s second city. Because it sits between the cold Antarctic and the baking heat of the interior, a few degrees change in wind direction can flip the weather quickly between any one of the four seasons.

Bisected by the Yarra River, the city is a mix of modern glass and steel, and Victorian houses and municipal buildings.

And it has a wonderful network of trams.

The Central Business District is a grid like an American city and comprises a number of streets exactly 99 feet wide paired with a second street exactly 33 feet wide. The second, narrower street is named after the wider road but prefixed by the word “little”. So you have Collins Street followed by Little Collins Street, Lonsdale Street followed by Little Lonsdale Street and so on.

The CDB also has narrow “laneways” that until about 20 years ago were simply dark alleyways for deliveries. Now they are the home of a vibrant bar culture.

and are decorated by colourful graffiti and street art.

This young new vibe didn’t evolve naturally but was cleverly promoted by the city authorities who even audition the buskers before they are allowed to perform.

We stayed in a suburb called St Kilda. It is a seaside resort but feels much more like Brighton than Eastbourne… Lots of cool young people with tatoos scateboarding down the street.

When travel books set out their opinions on “best ofs” the Great Ocean Road regularly appears in the “most scenic drive” list. The coastal road stretches away to the west of Melbourne and we decided to take our time investigating the area by booking Airbnbs at the beginning, middle, and end of the road.

Our trip, then, was relaxed, and had many spontaneous detours to visit beaches, lookouts, and forest walks. The fists stint, to the halfway point at Apollo Bay included watching experienced surfers ride the huge waves rolling in from the deep, and a rainforest walk that was reminiscent of New Zealand but with different bird noises and the added danger of possible encounters with venomous spiders and snakes. We also encountered sleepy, distant, Koalas, and over-friendly parrots.

Apollo Bay itself was very nice. It had good, safe, swimming beaches, and a lively centre with plenty of bars and restaurants.

After our stop-off we continued to the most famous sight, the 12 Apostles – limestone stacks rising dramatically from the surf.

The immediate area had a number of separate walks to see various different geological views, caves, arches etc. On one of those walks we encountered a large lizard that, for a very scary instant, looked very like a snake.

Just beyond the end of the road, near the town of Warrnambool, we visited a nature reserve called Tower Hill. This felt a little like jurassic park as it was an island in a crater lake.

The wildlife (Koalas, Kangaroos and Emus) could walk across the causeway from the island but, in reality they were contained in a safe environment.

We spent about 5 weeks in New Zealand so we had a pretty good look. So what did I think of NZ? Here is a summary:-

Auckland is a big city with a corporate feel and traffic jams. But it also has historic areas and cool suburbs.

The Bay of Islands is almost as far north as you can go in NZ so it has a warmer climate and has a relaxed feel to it – think chilling out in the South of France. There is also a lot of Maori and colonial history here, and spectacular forests of Kauri trees. One of my top recommendations.

If you are into Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit movies then visiting the location used for filming is interesting. This central area of North Island is pretty, but unspectacular. The Bay of Plenty is nice too and we had one of my favourite experiences there…a dusk kayak trip to see glow worms in a ravine.

Rotorua is where the geology of NZ comes to the surface, literally. The hot springs and associated landscapes are stunning and there are some great walks. To say it is a mini-Yellowstone is true in some ways, but, when combined with the NZ scenery and tree ferns, it becomes a must-see.

Hawke’s Bay is a fertile plain with many orchards. It also has many vineyards with Napier, an Art-Deco town, at their centre. Hawke’s Bay wine is commonly found for sale in the UK.

Wellington is the capital and has an international and quirky vibe – lots of coffee shops. It is nestled in a bay surrounded by mountains, making it pretty but strangely windy! If I were to ever have the opportunity to work in NZ I would pick Wellington.

Ferries join North and South Island. They take car and foot passengers between Wellington and Picton. The trip to Picton must be the most beautiful ferry trip in the world as the ships dance between the many islands and inlets of the Marlborough Sound.

Abel Tasman is a beautiful National Park at the top of South Island. Lots of lovely coastal forests to walk through.

The Northwest coast was a last minute change of itinerary for us, resulting from earthquake damage to the eastern coastal highway. It is rugged and spectacular but has changeable weather and lots of sand-flies! I am sure some people love this area, but it wasn’t my favourite.

Making your way south, over Arthurs Pass and visiting Lake Tekapo, you get used to stunning scenery and stopping the car to take photos is a frequent event.

Queenstown is a party town and full of backpackers. It is also extremely beautiful. The shallow “braided rivers” are perfect for spectacular white-knuckle jet boat rides.

Milford Sound is spectacular but I don’t think it is any more spectacular than many other places that we visited on our journey.

Wanaka is worth a visit. A beautiful lake, stunning vineyard, and just a very “nice” town.

Visiting the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers is, like Milford Sound, a big commitment in terms of miles. If you like seeing the power of nature, and the worry effects of global warming, it is well worth the effort.

NZ is full of people who like to make things. The craft scene is huge and Hokitika is a prime example and is the home to a surreal driftwood beach sculpture competition.

Christchurch is a city still bearing the visible scars of recent earthquakes but has an optimistic feel of regeneration.

That was our trip. It was longer than most are able to make but I still feel we missed out a lot. It is one of my favourite countries, with very welcoming people. I am sure we will be back!!